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Cuomo: DEC Should Be Talking To Gas Industry (And Everyone Else, For That Matter)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the Department of Environmental Conservation should be sharing information with the natural-gas industry in order to help develop regulations and guidelines should high-volume hydrofracking be allowed in New York.

And the state’s top environmental regulatory body should also be talking to opponents, Pennsylvania residents and, well, just about everyone.

“They should be talking to the industry. They should be talking to supporters. They should be talking to people in Pennsylvania,” Cuomo said, referencing New York’s neighbor state were high-volume hydrofracking has been allowed. “They should be talking to everyone. This decision should not be made in secret. Their task is to get the best information possible. I would hope — otherwise they would not be doing their job.”

The DEC drew renewed fire from environmental groups and opponents of the controversial natural-gas attraction process after a advocacy organization’s FOIL request found industry officials were given an early heads up on draft regulations for hydrofracking.

Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have laid out a staunchly anti-hydrofracking position themselves, holding a public forum today that featured filmmaker and fracking critic Josh Fox. Queens Democratic Sen. Tony Avella, an ardent hydrofracking foe, will be interviewed by Liz on the show this evening (8 and 11:30 on your local YNN!)

But Cuomo indicated on his trip to Utica today that the emails between the DEC and the industry were above board. It has been previously determined that no laws were violated by the DEC when it shared information with industry officials.